Mexican scientist manages to eliminate 100% of the Human Papillomavirus in 29 women

Eva Ramón Gallegos explained that photodynamic therapy, in addition to eradicating HPV (the pathogenic agent that is the main cause of cervical cancer), also eliminates premalignant lesions of cervical cancer at a very early stage, as demonstrated in a pilot study.

Eva Ramón Gallegos, a scientist at the National School of Biological Sciences (ENCB) of the National Polytechnic Institute ( IPN ), achieved the elimination of 100 percent of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) , focused on the uterine cervix of 29 women in Mexico City through photodynamic therapy .

In a statement, the IPN reported that the patients were treated with photodynamic therapy, a noninvasive technique, which can be an effective method to prevent this neoplasm, which is the second cause of death in Mexican women.

Ramón Gallegos explained that photodynamic therapy, in addition to eradicating HPV (the pathogenic agent that is the main cause of cervical cancer), also eliminates premalignant lesions of cervical cancer at a very early stage, as demonstrated in a pilot study.

The doctor explained that photodynamic therapy involves applying to the cervixa drug called aminolevulinic acid delta , which after four hours is transformed into protoporphyrin IX , a fluorescent chemical that accumulates in damaged cells, which allows to eliminate with a Special laser beam, only the structures impregnated with it.

Eva Ramón Gallegos, scientist at the National School of Biological Sciences (ENCB)

The researcher, who over two decades has studied the effect of photodynamic therapy on different neoplasms (melanoma, breast cancer and cervical cancer), said that in the clinical phase 420 patients from Oaxaca and Veracruz have been treated with this therapy. in addition to the 29 in Mexico City, who were infected with HPV, and had premalignant lesions in the cervix or had both conditions.

Ramón Gallegos mentioned that the treatment was carried out in two stages under two different schemes of application of the therapy.

“In the first part, in which the women of Oaxaca and Veracruz participated, the results were encouraging. In the application of the technique in the capitals also had a very hopeful effect, which opens the possibility of making treatment more effective, by using the scheme that suits the situation of patients, “he said.

In the first part of the investigation, the treatment was applied three times with an interval of 48 hours each, with a radiation time according to each case and the type of injury. Reviews were made and diagnostic studies were repeated.

The results were the following: in people who only had the virus without lesions, HPV was eliminated in 85 percent; in patients who had HPV with lesions it had an efficacy of 85 percent, and of those who had lesions without HPV it was successful in 42 percent.

The IPN researcher indicated that women in Mexico City had double the concentration of delta aminolevulinic acid. The treatment was performed twice with an interval of 48 hours.

They also carried out the reviews and diagnostic studies. The results were as follows: HPV was eliminated in 100 percent of the patients who carried it without injury, 64.3 percent in women with HPV and lesions, and 57.2 percent in those who had lesions without HPV.

He commented that photodynamic therapy is safe and free of side effects. “Unlike other treatments, it only removes damaged cells and does not affect healthy structures. Therefore, it has great potential to reduce the death rate from cervical cancer, “he said.